Achilles at Skyros

An etching reproducing the fresco Achilles at Skyros selecting the sword, from the right vault of the Loggia of Villa Madama, an unfinished architectural project started c.1518 by Raphael and decorated after Raphael's death by his workshop. This print is lettered with publication details, an explanation of the subject in Latin, the identification of Raphael as the painter of the fresco and a dedication to Charles III, King of Spain, whose coat of arms is at the bottom centre. Signed by the printmaker.

Achilles was sent by his mother Thetis to the island of Skyros and disguised himself as a woman, to avoid taking part in the Trojan War. Ulysses and Diomedes went to the island and, as they hoped, Achilles gave himself away by choosing a sword rather than jewellery and clothing.

Ottaviani became famous for the series of plates of the Vatican Logge in the 1770s, of which he engraved the first two parts, and Volpato the third.

Scholarly opinion traditionally agreed that, although Pope Leo X took a strong personal interest in the project of Villa Madama, his cousin Cardinal Giulio de' Medici (later Pope Clement VII) was ultimately responsible for this project. In a book about the Villa, Lefevre published an archival document attesting that the vineyard of the Villa – built on the slopes of Monte Mario, not far from the Vatican – was owned by the Vatican Chapter and therefore by Pope Leo X, rather than the Medici family. According to Lefevre, Giulio de' Medici owned the Villa only after the death of Leo X, who, whilst alive, entrust ed the project to his cousin.

The magnificent original plan was never put in place: the construction of the Villa seems to have stopped after the death of Raphael and only the decoration continued from 1520 to 1523 (see Bibliographic References). Giorgio Vasari in the lives of Giulio Romano and Raphael gives inconsistent information about the architect of the project and Lefevre believes that the authorship of Villa Madama should be assigned to Raphael, whose designs were used by Antonio da Sangallo and his workshop, while Giulio Romano, being Raphael's most experienced pupil, was in charge of the practical execution of the project (see Bibliographic References).

According to Jones and Penny (see Bibliographic References), the Cardinal wanted Giovanni da Udine to execute the stuccoes and Giulio Romano the paintings (or at least to design them), therefore showing that the decorative plans had not been decided upon before Raphael's death. Although Vasari does not mention Baldassarre Peruzzi in relation to this project, recent literature has confirmed his involvement and Lefevre suggests that Giovanni Penni may also have been involved (see Bibliographic References).